Seeking scientists: Become a part of our network!

Our team is working on launching via internet a platform for information exchange of the ecological status of the Mediterranean Sea (the actual environmental situation; neobiota; marine invasive species; the actual water temperature; oceanographic phenomena; mass-reproduction of jellyfish; algal blooms; the situation of Caulerpa taxifolia; acute environmental problems, destructions of habitats, discharges of toxins or oil spills; key aspects of  research projects and ocean protection case studies; conferences and symposia; fishery data; new publications). Such an internet portal does not exit so far. Due to this reason we seek network partners in every country and region around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in every research facility. Our ambition is to establish the most comprehensive platform of the Mediterranean Sea at all, in the near future we will be able to offer a lot of benefits for the members of our network. Every member will be represented at our well attended portal. We want to extend an easy access of important actual data of the Mediterranean Sea to politicians, journalists, scientists, conservationists and to the general public as well. Our goal is to provide actual help for the Mediterranean Sea, to raise public awareness for acute problems and to achieve improvements through a range of concrete projects.

Dr. Robert Hofrichter, is working on a scientific opus about the fauna, flora and ecology of the Mediterranean Sea, this is the most comprehensive biological compendium of the Mediterranean Sea, which has been published in German.

A Spanish translation does already exist, now it will be translated into English.

The third volume of this opus, which contains of no less than 2700 pages, is not finished right now - over 200 scientist from 21 countries are working on it. More information on http://www.maremundi.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=36

We would be very grateful for your cooperation and your support. With the help and the support of numerous colleagues from several regions around the Mediterranean Sea mare-mundi.eu will be able to provide a powerful tool for raising awareness to preserve and to protect the Mediterranean Sea. Please, help us building up an effective information network. You can benefit from it as well, by now we already have one of the largest databases and archives full of pictures concerning the topics of the Mediterranean Sea, from bacteria to whales.

Please do not hesitate to ask for further information. Contact us: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann.

Dr .Robert Hofrichter                                         MSc. Sylvia Hartl

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NIMRD - Institute

Alexandru S. Bologa

Review on the historical development of Romanian marine scientific research (1893 - present)

National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa”, Mamaia 300, RO-900581 Constantza 3, Romania, E-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann.

Marine sciences had a start in Romania with Grigore Antipa (1867-1944), ichthyologist, organizer, administrator general and inspector general of State Fisheries, author of the modern  “diorama” concept in museology, and his oceanographic cruises on board RRN cruiser “ELISABETA” around the Black Sea in 1893, 1894 and 1895, with a view to collect biological and especially ichthyologic samples.

The mechanisms of bioproductivity in the north-western region of the Black Sea were explained by Antipa in his monograph ”The Black Sea: Oceanography, Bionomics and General Biology of the Black Sea” (1941), which is considered useful to this day.

The remarkable participation of Emil Racovitza (1868-1947), founder of biospeleology, in world famous Antarctic international scientific cruise on board “BELGICA” followed soon in 1897.

Racovitza’s and especially Antipa’s  further contributions extend to Prince Albert I of Monaco International Commission  for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea  (CIESM), certainly the most prolific and oldest European oceanological organization, closely linked to the Black Sea until to this day, since 1910 for almost four decades.

The creation of the first Romanian Marine Zoological Station at Agigea in 1926, equipped in time with own small research vessels, such as., e.g., “GILORTUL”, provide an opportunity considering also its founder Ioan Borcea (1879-1936), among the pioneers of  Romanian oceanology, besides his various other professional and public dignities.

Borcea’s above mentioned major achievement was rapidly followed by the founding of Antipa’s Bio-oceanographic Institute, located in Constantza (1932), devoted mainly to physical –chemical and fishery oceanography.

Other international scientific cooperative efforts, especially with the former USSR and Bulgaria, in marine biology started in 1953 and concerned sound studies on the benthic communities, microphyto- and zoobenthos, as well as fish feeding and migration.

Both Borcea’s and Antipa’s internationally well recognized establishments, together with other  research institutions for marine geology/sedimentology, hydrology, biology, a.o., merged, in 1970, in the Romanian Marine Research Institute (Constantza),  reorganized in 1999 as National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD), named after the initiator of  the Romanian school of marine ecology and operating  at present under the co-ordination of the Ministry of Environment and Water Management, as leading governmental institution in the field of oceanology.

At this stage NIMRD carries out basic, applied and technological research, essential for the knowledge, protection and management of the coastal zone and marine environment, in the Romanian Economic Exclusive Zone at the Black Sea. Among its main facilities is R/V “STEAUA DE MARE 1” (132 mT, 570 HP) and speedboat “MARSUINUL” (7m, 150 HP). Main national and international NIMRD responsibilities consist of Presidency and registered office of UNESCO Romania related Romanian National  Committee of Oceanology, Permanent Technical Secretariat of National Coastal Zone Committee, co-ordination and registered office of International Secretariat for South-Eastern Europe of Balkan Environment Association (B.EN.A.), and activity co-ordination and registered office for GEF / Black Sea Programme related Regional Activity Centre for Environmental Aspects of Fisheries and Other Marine Living Resources Management and five national focal points.

NIMRD also assures the scientific representation of Romania in international organizations, such as UNESCO/IOC, CIESM, FAO, CGPM, CECAF, ICES, NATO, GEF/Black Sea, ACCOBAMS, a.o.

A few other major research institutions, mainly the National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology (Bucharest-Constantza) and universities are likewise thoroughly approaching marine sciences, as well as related Danube, Danube delta and littoral lakes issues, nowadays.
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Ministery of Enviroment and Water Management National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa" Constanta

The National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD), under the authority of the Ministry of Environment and Water Management, has been created in 1999, through reorganization of the Romanian Marine Research Institute, established in 1970.In order to recognize the centenary tradition and continuity of national oceanology, the institute is named after Professor Grigore Antipa (1867-1944), the founder of the Romanian school for marine ecology. NIMRD carries out basic, applied and technological research, crucial for the knowledge, protection and management of the coastal zone and marine environment, in the Romanian Economical Exclusive Zone at the Black Sea.

NIMRD is qualified to make regulatory framework proposals for the national environment authority, and to represent Romania, in the field of marine sciences, at different international organizations and advisory groups of conventions and agreements with Romanian affiliation (Bucharest Convention/ 1992, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, ACCOBAMS Agreement).

NIMRD is technical operator of national network for physical, chemical and biological monitoring and coastal erosion survey.

The main national and international NIMRD responsibilities are:

• Presidency and registered office of Romanian National Committee of Oceanology/ CNR-UNESCO;
• Permanent Technical Secretariat of National Coastal Zone Committee;
• Activities coordination and registered office of International Secretariat for South-Eastern Europe of Balkan Environment Association (B.EN.A.), and of training centre for environmental professions (B.EN.A.);
• Activities coordination and registered office for GEF/ Black Sea Programme related Regional Activity Centre for Environmental Aspects of Fisheries and Other Marine Living Resources Management and 5 national focal points.
• Scientific representation of Romania in international organizations   (UNESCO/COI, CIESM, FAO, CGPM, CECAF, ICES, NATO, GEF/Black Sea, ACCOBAMS) is being constantly assured by NIMRD.                

Most significant activities carried on by NIMRD since its foundation until nowadays consist of:

• oceanographic cruises in the Romanian Marine sector and adjacent EEZ (annual, about 60 to 80 days/ year);
• national and international scientific cruises extending the Black Sea (Mediterranean Sea/ Libya, 1975/ 76; Atlantic and Indian Ocean/ 1075/90);
• programmes of national and international interest:

1. integrated monitoring of the marine and coastal environment (under coordination of Ministry of Environment and Water management)
2. conservation of marine ecosystem and promotion of its sustainable utilization (Ministry of Education and Research)
3. protection and sustainable development of marine living resources (National Agency for Fishing and Aquaculture)
4. protection and conservation of dolphins in Romanian Black Sea waters (MEWM, EC/LIFE  Natura, ACCOBAMS);
5. marine radioactivity and radioecology (IAEA, MEL Monaco).